what would you do? DRAFT 2

My child has a lot of trouble attending school and is a school refuser. Year 8. Many years ago when he was at nursery the teachers were awful to him and he was coming home distressed. Head didn't want to know so we took him out. After that a parent contacted me to inform me that her child had revealed that my child had been smacked by the teacher. Parent wrote a letter to the Head. Head's reply non-committal and nothing happened. All teachers concerned left the school at the end of that year. (job share and TA)We sought legal advice and were told that the school/LEA would easily defend themselves against such an allegation and that it could actually go against us as my child was by then showing signs if having SEN. So we didn't so anything.Is it too late to say anything now e.g. to GP, CAMHS (we're seeing the psych soon) as I feel that it has to have contributed to his anxiety at attending school. Or will it just open up a big can of worms. We don't want to sue anyone or anything - we just want our child's difficulties seen clearly.

I would bring it up with CAMHS as your DS may need some sort of counselling to deal with his feelings about it. That doesn't mean you're looking for retribution - just that he needs help to deal with his emotions about it if they are affecting his ability to attend school.

Not at all. I was offered CBT when I was 39 to help me deal with something that happened to me when I was 9. If it's the thing that's making it hard for him to attend school he needs help to deal with it. Whether he will want to or not is another matter. DD1 is 14 and has steadfastly refused to discuss certain things with CAMHS that she really needs to talk about. She'll do it when she's ready, I know, but not sure when that will be.